Chapter 4

~Lyrielle~

My eyes widened in shock as I felt the betrayal’s knife twisting in my gut. I fell to my knees, the cloak pooling around me, covering my small frame. I couldn’t believe what I had seen. Daveth was alive, laughing with the crowd; Eiraeth was marrying Diana; the Luna Queen and the Alpha King all wore looks of happiness on their faces while my family was gone, executed unjustly.

Sobs tore from my throat, raw and ragged, and I stood up, lurching forward, desperate to reach them, to scream and ask why they had done this to me and my family, but Arineth’s hand clamped around mine, dragging me back. Before I could take another step, I was pulled outside and sucked into a portal, the purple light swallowing us whole.

The portal opened again atop a mountain cliff, and I felt the wind howling around us, sending a shiver down my spine. I turned to face Arineth and yanked my hand free from his.

“What the hell am I doing here?” I demanded. “I want to go back!” I shouted, the wind tearing at my cloak, whipping the hood back to bare my tear-streaked face. “Why?” I questioned him, my voice cracking, desperate for answers. “Why were my parents sacrificed while everyone else was alive? Daveth, Eiraeth, Diana, the Luna Queen, and the Alpha King are all happy, living. Why them and not my family?”

Arineth’s eyes narrowed as he faced me. “It was your greed that got your parents killed, Lyrielle. You’re a fool, hungry for power, and because of that, you have to suffer for the sins you’ve committed. You chased the crown, and they paid the price. Your family died because of your ambition.”

His words struck me like a blow, and I crumpled, my knees hitting the rocky ground hard enough to bruise.

Tears streamed down my face, hot and unstoppable. “Why?” I cried as I pounded my fists against my chest, ignoring the pain. “No, no, no!” I wailed, my voice breaking into a scream that rivaled the wind.

My hands clawed at my heart, nails digging into the cloak as if I could rip out the guilt, the grief, and the rage boiling inside me. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen!” Sobs racked my body, and I shook until I could barely breathe, my chest heaving with each ragged gasp. My family was gone, while I stood here alive, cursed to witness a world that had moved on without me. I hit myself again harder. “I don’t…”

“Stop crying!” Arineth yelled at me, his face twisted in disgust. “If you feel so betrayed, you can end it all here. Jump down the cliff.”

I froze, my sobs catching in my throat as I stared at him, shocked that he would say such a thing. “Why would you say that?” I stammered, my voice trembling. Before I knew what was happening, he seized my hand and yanked me toward the edge of the cliff. My feet skidded on the loose stone, and I screamed as I struggled against him. “Let me go! Please, Prince Arineth, let me go!”

He laughed—a cold, bitter laughter that sliced through me. “Really?” He tightened his grip around me. “Why are you so afraid to die now after what you’ve done? Not only did you kill your family, but you also ruined the lives of all those associated with them. Didn’t you ask why I kept you alive? I thought you’d like to join your family.”

I visibly gulped as I looked at the abyss below. The rocks were sharp as teeth, and I could already picture a painful death for myself. I turned my gaze back to him and slowly muttered, “Why are you doing this to me?” I cried. “I know that I rejected you, and I’m sorry. I admit I was selfish—I know it, and I deserve all the hate in the world. I’ll be punished for it all my life. But my family—they’re dead, Prince Arineth, while the royal family dances and live their lives.” Tears burst from me again, and I felt my body shake terribly as I choked out the words. “I can’t die yet—not now, not after seeing them alive and thriving while my parents rot in the ground.”

Arineth scoffed, pulled me away from the cliff, and released my hand. “And what do you plan on doing to the royal family? What grand plan do you have?” he mocked. I opened my mouth, but no words came; my mind was blank, and I couldn’t come up with anything. “Exactly,” he sneered at me. “Not only are you weak, but you’re also stupid. Crying won’t change anything about what happened to your family.” With that, he let go of me and turned, walking away.

I bit my lower lip hard until I could taste the blood. He was right—I was weak. I couldn’t do it alone if I wanted revenge, so I lunged forward and grabbed his cloak. My fingers curled into the fabric as I burst into tears again. “Prince Arineth, wait!” I sobbed. “Please, help me. I want revenge. I want them to pay for what they did to me.”

He laughed, a harsh, grating sound, and yanked my hand free from his cloak before facing me. “Revenge? The only one you should feel it for is yourself, Lyrielle. You started this mess with your greed, and now you want revenge?”

“Yes,” I responded quickly, my fists thudding against my ribs as I gasped through the tears. “Yes, I was greedy, and I admit it, but I can’t bear it—I can’t stand seeing them enjoy themselves while drowning in this pain. I’m ready to do anything… anything you ask.”

Arineth nodded and then pointed down the mountain. “Then jump.”

“But…” I faltered, my breath hitching as I glanced toward the cliff.

“But?” He stepped closer. “You’re still selfish. If you weren’t, I’m sure you’d leap without a second thought, without caring if you live or die. Prove you’re more than that hollow ambition.”

I lowered my head and heaved a deep sigh, then raised my head again to face him, full of confidence. “I’ll do it if it proves I’m not selfish. I’ll jump.” My legs shook terribly as I inched toward the edge, the wind clawing at me. I closed my eyes, tears stinging them as I took the final step. “I can do this,” I muttered.

My breath stopped, my body tensed, and I didn’t care if I was going to die or not. I just wanted to prove to Arineth that I was a different person. Just as my foot slipped over the edge, Arineth’s hand shot out, grabbing mine and yanking me back from the brink.

“You’ve proven yourself,” he said, his voice no longer condescending. “But,” he paused as our eyes met, “I still don’t trust you because you’re selfish. Still, I’ll give you a chance to get revenge on them.” He pulled me into his arms, and I collapsed against his chest, trembling. “Now, for you to get revenge, Lyrielle,” he paused again as he leaned closer to my ear, his hot breath against it as he murmured, “You have to be strong and prove yourself, and being strong comes with a price.” Before I could respond, his hand shifted, and with a sudden, brutal shove, he pushed me off the cliff.

My eyes widened in shock, a scream tearing from my throat as I fell, the wind roaring past me. I reached up, my hands clawing in the air to grasp anything, but instead, I saw him watching me with a cruel smile on his face.